Rishi Sunak: Key questions were cut short – but that didn’t stop prime minister getting skewered at the Liaison Committee
For the senior MPs on the Liaison Committee, it was an opportunity missed. Apart from one explosive clash that left a shifty-looking Rishi Sunak totally skewered.
Coming six months to the day since the prime minister announced his five priorities for the year, the committee should have put him under pressure on the progress so far.
But it was mostly an unsatisfactory 90 minutes, with the MPs’ questions constantly interrupted by a fussy Sir Bernard Jenkin, the chairman, who was rushing them along in a frantic attempt to finish on time.
At the beginning of the session at 2pm, Mr Sunak haughtily told Sir Bernard he had a “pressing engagement” at 3.30pm, so they must not go over time. To which Sir Bernard should have replied: “Tough!”
The biggest disappointment was his curtailing of the forensic Dame Diana Johnson, who was beginning to get under the PM’s skin with some tough questions on one of his five priorities, stop the boats.
Dame Diana, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, accused him of betting everything on his Rwanda policy being upheld in the Supreme Court. Not fair, he said. The stop the boats pledge was on hold, she claimed. No, he said.
The other important clash on one of Mr Sunak’s five priorities came during some tenacious interrogation on the cost of living crisis by Labour’s Catherine McKinnell, first on soaring food prices and then on spiralling mortgage costs.
One of the many questions the prime minister dodged during the 90-minute hearing was when Ms McKinnell, one of the stars of these Liaison Committee hearings, asked him what percentage he would put on achieving his target of halving inflation.
Lamely, he replied: “I’m working 100% to deliver it.”
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It was all very bland, full of jargon such as “downstream cost”, whatever that is, and the PM gave the impression he wished he was somewhere else and couldn’t be bothered.
But then he got a shock. The committee exploded into life in a blistering exchange with Sir Chris Bryant, who chairs the Standards Committee and lambasted Mr Sunak for dodging privileges votes, Commons statements and PMQs.
On the Privileges Committee report on seven Tory MPs denouncing the Boris Johnson partygate inquiry as a “whitewash” and “kangaroo court”, Mr Sunak said: “I haven’t read every page of the report.”
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“It’s three pages long!” Sir Chris shot back. It’s also worth pointing out that Mr Sunak quoted the report he said he hadn’t read in his letter to Zac Goldsmith after he resigned last Friday.
At one point during his highly entertaining skewering of Mr Sunak, Sir Chris threw his head back and shouted: “Oh come off it, prime minister.” Many people listening to the whole session will have endorsed that sentiment.
If these sessions are to work and be productive, they need to be longer than 90 minutes, as they used to be. The committee has already cut the number of MPs asking questions, which has helped.
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“It’s about three pages long!” PM and Sir Chris Bryant clash over privileges committee’s special report
The whole idea of the hearings is for detailed cross-examination of a PM on his or her policies away from the bearpit atmosphere of Prime Minister’s Questions. Here, to be fair, some members of the committee attempted forensic probing on policy details.
But they were thwarted by a prime minister who clearly had no intention of explaining his approach to the cost of living crisis or migrant crossings in any detail. He’ll no doubt conclude “job done”. But no doubt the MPs will feel they weren’t able to do their job very effectively this time.
Pakistan has launched attacks on “multiple targets” across India, according to the media wing of Pakistan’s military.
Pakistan said in a statement that retaliatory attacks are underway in response to what it called “continuous provocation” by India, which fired missiles at three air bases inside Pakistan.
“Multiple targets in this operation are being engaged all across India,” the statement from Pakistan Armed Forces (PAF) said.
Pakistan’s military said it used medium-range Fateh missiles to strike more than 25 military sites, including airbases and weapons depots in the Indian states of Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan, as well as locations in India-administered Kashmir.
Pakistan’s military posted footage on X showing missiles being fired from what appeared to be a mobile launcher.
Pic: MilitaryPakISPR
The AP news agency also said loud explosions have been heard in India-administered Kashmir, in the disputed region’s two big cities of Srinagar and Jammu, and the garrison town of Udhampur.
Meanwhile, an Indian military source told Reuters that India has launched air operations in Pakistan, although no further details were given.
The operations mark the latest escalation in a conflict between the two nuclear-armed rivals, triggered by a deadly attack last month in India-administered Kashmir.
Most of the 26 civilians killed were Hindu Indian tourists. India blames Pakistan for backing the assault, an accusation Islamabad rejects.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called a meeting of the National Command Authority, the body which takes security decisions, including those related to the country’s nuclear arsenal.
State-run Pakistan television said three air bases were struck by India on Friday, although Pakistan insisted most of the missiles had been intercepted.
Despite the military offensive, PAF also posted a message on X in what appeared to represent an opportunity to de-escalate the situation.
“Now that a response has been given we hope the neighbour [India] will move to dialogue and diplomacy like Civilized Nations,” it said.
In recent days, both countries have launched a series of missile and drone strikes, although the scale and impact have been consistently questioned by each other.
On Wednesday, India conducted airstrikes on several sites in Pakistani territory. Pakistan said it shot down five Indian fighter jets.
On Thursday, India claimed to have repelled drone and missile attacks at military targets in more than a dozen cities and towns, including Jammu in India-administered Kashmir. Meanwhile, India claimed it struck Pakistan’s air defence systems and radars close to the city of Lahore.
A damaged house in Jammu, in Indian-administered Kashmir, after a Pakistani drone attack. Pic: AP
The Indian army said on Friday that Pakistan fired about 300 to 400 drones, targeting military installations along the western borders – a claim strongly denied by Pakistan.
The G7 group of advanced economies, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US and Britain, urged maximum restraint from both India and Pakistan.
“We call for immediate de-escalation and encourage both countries to engage in direct dialogue towards a peaceful outcome,” a statement issued on Friday said.
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World
European leaders to meet in Ukraine for ‘coalition of the willing’ talks – and issue call to Russia
Sir Keir Starmer will join other European leaders in Kyiv on Saturday for talks on the “coalition of the willing”.
The prime minister is attending the event alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, recently-elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
It will be the first time the leaders of the four countries will travel to Ukraine at the same time – on board a train to Kyiv – with their meeting hosted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Follow latest updates on the Ukraine war
Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz travelling in the saloon car of a special train to Kiev. Pic: Reuters
Military officers from around 30 countries have been involved in drawing up plans for the coalition, which would provide a peacekeeping force in the event of a ceasefire being agreed between Russia and Ukraine.
Ahead of the meeting on Saturday, Sir Keir, Mr Macron, Mr Tusk and Mr Merz released a joint statement voicing support for Ukraine and calling on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire.
Sir Keir and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting in March. Pic: AP
“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” they said.
“Alongside the US, we call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”
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The leaders said they were “ready to support peace talks as soon as possible”.
But they warned that they would continue to “ratchet up pressure on Russia’s war machine” until Moscow agrees to a lasting ceasefire.
“We are clear the bloodshed must end, Russia must stop its illegal invasion, and Ukraine must be able to prosper as a safe, secure and sovereign nation within its internationally recognised borders for generations to come,” their statement added.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine.”
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The European leaders are set to visit the Maidan, a central square in Ukraine’s capital where flags represent those who died in the war.
They are also expected to host a virtual meeting for other leaders in the “coalition of the willing” to update them on progress towards a peacekeeping force.
This force “would help regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces after any peace deal and strengthen confidence in any future peace”, according to Number 10.
World
Ten explosions near international airport in India-administered part of Kashmir, officials say
Ten explosions have been heard near Srinagar International Airport in India-administered parts of Kashmir, officials have told Reuters news agency.
The blasts followed blackouts caused by multiple projectiles, which were seen in the sky above the city of Jammu earlier on Friday.
Explosions were also heard in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, in the neighbouring Punjab state, according to Reuters.
An Indian military official told the agency that “drones have been sighted” and “they are being engaged”.
It comes as tensions between India and Pakistan across the line of control around the region of Kashmir have boiled over this week, leading to fears of a wider conflict.
On Wednesday morning, India carried out missile strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered parts of the disputed region.
The retaliation came weeks after 26 people, mainly Indian tourists, were shot dead by gunmen in an India-administered part of Kashmir last month.
The government in India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, while Pakistan said it was not involved in the April attack and the sites were not militant bases.
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Explained: India-Pakistan conflict
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday, according to casualty estimates on both sides – which have not been independently verified.
India also suspended its top cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, as a result of rising tensions, while the Pakistan Super League moved the remainder of its season to the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a conference on Friday that the US is in constant contact with both India and Pakistan.
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